By Aviv Weiss
It’s no small feat to create effective systems for bringing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (or MTSS) to your district. If you’re a superintendent, chief school administrator, curriculum director, or other education professional working at the district level and you’re looking for tools to support your staff in rolling out MTSS practices, Khan Academy Districts may be able to help.
Across the US, districts find Khan Academy Districts to be a game changer for measurably improving equity, access, and college readiness. A 2018 study found that students who used Khan Academy for 30 minutes per week gained 22 additional points on their state math assessment, exceeding district growth targets.
The mastery learning way
Khan Academy’s mastery learning approach meshes well with supporting an MTSS curriculum. In a nutshell, mastery learning refers to the idea that students should fully understand the material being taught before they move on to what’s next.
In a mastery learning model, students are regularly assessed to determine which skills have been mastered and which still need to be mastered. Students who haven’t yet achieved mastery of a given skill are supported with additional instructional activities aimed at helping them achieve mastery. Students are re-assessed on their skills, and this instruction-assessment cycle repeats until the student achieves mastery.
For districts, embracing a mastery learning model supports MTSS at all levels. Khan Academy Districts’ tool offers a path to increasing capacity for educators, as well as giving administrators clear data to meet reporting requirements and gain insight into what’s working within their district. These tools are designed to be easily adopted by teachers, so they can quickly transform your approach to MTSS support for the better.
As a longtime champion of mastery learning, Khan Academy is always looking for new ways to seamlessly introduce it into classrooms. Our newest development is Khanmigo, the AI tutor that offers 1:1 tutoring to students, deepening our mission to bring world-class education to anyone, anywhere.
Support for all three tiers of MTSS
With a focus on the maths and sciences, Khan Academy offers strategic materials for all three tiers of MTSS support to students:
Tier 1: Universal whole class
In whole-group instruction, mastery-enabled courses from Khan Academy allow students to work autonomously at their own pace. Here’s how Khan Academy supports students at this tier:
Unit pacing: The pacing of Khan units is flexible and adapts to the needs of each learner, allowing them to build skills and understand the content according to district curriculum guides before moving on.
Mixed practice: “You can practice each skill in isolation if that’s what you need,” says Dina Neyman, Leader of District Success for Khan Academy Districts. “But you also have the opportunity for mixed practice and for practicing in context. We’re not just practicing the equations and then separately practicing a word problem. We put it all together.”
Instruction on online resources: Students are always shown how to use online resources appropriately. We teach that these resources have a space in the classroom and explain how to best utilize them. In the age of AI, this education has never been more important, and the Khan team has expertise in integrating AI into school districts for both teachers and students.
Access to Khanmigo: Our AI-driven, personalized learning tool sits right alongside students as they work. It not only simplifies planning; it enhances student interaction and peer learning. Learn more about Khanmigo here.
Tier 2: Targeted small groups
Khan’s targeted assignments are focused on strengthening specific skills, with student-response reports to reflect progress. At this tier, students have all the support of Tier 1, plus:
Personalization: Through Khan Academy’s differentiated instruction, students get access to a personalized system that helps fill in their learning gaps. Students are able to choose how they want to learn: through videos, articles, examples, and more.
Goal-setting: Students are set up to make long-term goals, and their progress toward those goals is monitored. Working toward content mastery takes time, and having clear goals helps keep students engaged.
Tier 3: Individual intensive interventions
With a full library of Khan Academy content to choose from, individual needs can be effectively addressed. At this tier, students have all the support of Tiers 1 and 2, plus this benefit:
Reaches below- and above-grade students: Khan tools are not only for students who function below their grade level, but also those who function above their level. “There’s a lot of focus on helping students who fall behind, of course,” says Neyman. “But these are also resources for students who excel in this manner of learning and can use it to explore beyond their grade level.”
Partnering with Khan Academy Districts
Khan Academy Districts offers your district implementation, support, and professional learning from experienced educators who are focused on both the how and the why. Our reporting brings it all together for teachers and administrators to ensure skills gaps are closed and that students can work at grade level and beyond.
Here’s what you can expect when working with Khan Academy Districts:
A plan tailored to your district’s goals: Each district’s goals are highly specific; for example, a goal might be to boost standardized test scores or to increase graduation rates. In any district partnership, we identify your goals first, then craft a plan that depends on the results you need to see. “We’ll make the recommendations as folks who know the product inside and out, but goals always come from the district,” says Neyman.
A dedicated success manager: Khan Academy has world-class content, but it’s the expertise and support from our team that makes partnering with us so effective. Our District Success Managers work closely with you to develop your plan. Then, we’re there every step of the way to help you monitor, adjust, and navigate your way toward success.
Year-round, customized training: Khan’s Professional Learning team is made up of expert educators who are committed to your success. Professional Learning sessions develop teacher and administrator knowledge over time, combining the how with the why to help advance student learning.
District administrator dashboards: Your administrator dashboard offers at-a-glance monitoring of each and every student and classroom in your school or district. Real-time data means you can celebrate success and offer support where it’s needed, without waiting for assessment tests or using outdated information. It also means data is at the ready for meetings between instructors and families.
Easy rostering: Khan Academy Districts makes using Khan Academy faster, simpler, and more secure for everyone involved. Students and teachers are automatically rostered using Clever SecureSync or Classlink.
Personalized reporting: Comprehensive school and district reporting helps leaders like you monitor usage and understand student performance. By building a common language of data, you’ll be better equipped to make data-informed decisions at all levels.
Deep, comprehensive support: “When we look at the system of schools, we have site administrators that look after teachers,” says Neyman. “We also have districts that are tasked with keeping an eye on administrators and making sure they have what they need. But who looks after the district? Who makes sure that the superintendent, or curriculum director, or chief academic officer, is supported? They’re under so much pressure to make important decisions. We see our role as offering support to those district leads.”
Learn more about partnering with Khan Academy Districts here.
The post Supporting every student: Implement an MTSS Strategy with Khan Academy Districts appeared first on Khan Academy Blog.
By Aviv Weiss It’s no small feat to create effective systems for bringing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (or MTSS) to your district. If you’re a superintendent, chief school administrator, curriculum director, or other education professional working at the district level and you’re looking for tools to support your staff in rolling out MTSS practices, Khan
The post Supporting every student: Implement an MTSS Strategy with Khan Academy Districts appeared first on Khan Academy Blog. Educators, Khanmigo, Math Khan Academy Blog
